Our great leader MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK has explained

through one of his maxims that "the basic principle of the republic

of turkey is culture".

We believe that folk culture is a cornerstone for our natural

cohesion and unity. An overall development on various fields of

economic and social life can only be achieve through education and

culture. Cultural values that reflect our national pride and aesthetic

values are very important. We can as a stable society find our

spiritual, physical and aesthetic needs from the values of Turkish

folk culture.

The unusual wealth and variety of Turkish folk music and dance

attracts the attention of people from all over the world. Many of

the melodies and movements have very ancient origins stemming

from the many different aspects of Turkish culture that form the

background of modern Turkey.

The 'bar' in Erzurum

province, the 'halay' in the

east and southeast, the

'hora' in Thrace, the 'horon'

in the Black Sea, 'spoon

dances' in and around Konya

'lezginka' in Kars and

Ardahan and the Zeybek

are the best known

examples of these.

TURKISH FOLKDANCE MAP

BAR

With their structure and formation, they are the dances performed by groups in the open. They are spread, in general, over the eastern part of Anatolia (Erzurum, Bayburt, Ağrı, Kars, Artvin and Erzincan provinces).

The characteristic of their formation is that they are performed side-by-side, hand, shoulder and arm-in-arm. Woman and man bars are different from one another. The principal instruments of our bar dances are davul andzurna

HALAY

This folk-dance, is a part of

Turkish dance and is performed

to a large extent in the Eastern,

South- Eastern And Central

Anatolia and it is one of the most

striking dances. It has a rich

figure structure. Simplicity is the

symbol of creation and originality

of the folk.

HORON

In this region, corn and the sea play an

important role in the local economy and

social life. One of the types of fish that

lives primarily in the black sea is the hamsi,

a kind of anchovy. This small fish is caught

in great numbers by the fishermen's nets.

One of the most characteristic movements,

in horon dances, is a fast shoulder shimmy

and a trembling of the entire body, which

imitates or suggests the movements of the

hamsi as it swims in the sea or struggles in

the nets for its life.

MİSKET

The game Seğmen tells about the

heroic stories of the Turkish

Independence War. The posture is

the most important characteristic

of the dance

SEĞMEN

It expresses a true love that wasexperienced years ago.The game is dominated by the foot movementsPlayed by three or four people. This game is essentially three movements.

SPOON (KAŞIK) DANCES:

In central and Southern Anatolia, there are many

dances which are performed with a pair of wooden

spoons in each hand. A few centers of this type of

dance are Dinar, Bolu, Konya and Silifke. Many of the

spoon dances from Silifke, located along the

Mediterranean coast, features spoons with which

the dancers click out a lively rhythm while executing

quick, agile movements with their feet and arms.

Frequently, the songs tell of the migratory Turkmen

people. The lyrics describe their nomadic journeys,

or their daily routines when settled.

ZEYBEKIn contrast to the ferverish pitch common to

Karadeniz dances, the zeybek dances of

Western Anatolia, near the Aegean coast, are

slow and graceful.

The work zeybek refers to a man, who is a

brother, a friend, a protector of his people. In a

sense he is akin to a samurai type of figure.

Performed individually, in a circle or often as a

solo, the zeybek dance usually begins with the

man strutting boastfully to tight strains of

music.

ÜRK

Our Great Leader MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK,while dancing ZEYBEK in İstanbul

KARŞILAMA

Karşılama, reciprocity, which means

take the road to welcome the sake

of arriving. Starts at a slow pace

becomes accelerated double drum

double flutes used in public places.

Thrace, Marmara and Black Sea

regions.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

ÖZCE

AYDIN

CEM

AHMET

ERTAY,

THE TURKISH COMENIUS OCER GROUP